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Steppen I Grandelburg
Steppen I Grandelburg was the seventh monarch of Daravia. He was renowned for his diplomatic ability and powerful alliance with Dorio. Early life Steppen was born to Prince Peter of the Icy Islands in 42 DR, on the tail end of the isles' revolt. He was clever and talkative from an early age, and demonstrated some interest in becoming an actor before tradition (and his father) vetoed it. Peter was, however, glad to direct Steppen's talent toward its political uses, sending him to schools of oration and masterful tutors, so that Steppen was soon a very capable speaker and diplomat. Peter, in conjunction with his brother Marlin, intended for Steppen to become a top advisor to Marlin III; however, Marlin III proved to be sickly and weak, and his death in 66 left the throne in Steppen's hands. Reign Steppen had little military experience, so he delegated the combat portions of the Masric War to his generals and personally decided to sue for peace. After a protracted discussion, Steppen managed to strike a deal in the autumn of 67 by ceding much of eastern Cadra. However, the city of Allicott ended up only a few miles from the border, leading to a future point of contention. When Steppen ascended the throne, tax nonpayment was an ongoing problem in Gahlstaff; the westernmost province of Daravia, Gahlstaff was mostly populated by itinerant pastoralists, who frequently conspired to elude the ducal tax collectors. In 72, Steppen sought to remedy this by apportioning out the land into privately owned lots; stipends were provided to those pastoralists who settled a specific lot. This was successful for a time, but after some Gahlstaff families attempted to settle multiple lots to maximize their profits, the dukes of Gahlstaff were forced to crack down on the populace. Although not a religious man, Steppen was interested in the growth of Heplianism, and was able to win the favor of Dorio's recently crowned Albus I by promoting the spread of Heplianism in Daravian lands. Vazranism was relatively minor in Daravia (the most Vazranistic lands were in the now-Robarial zone), so Steppen was able to strongly secure an official state religion. Steppen also agreed to honor the religious decisions of Lord Reverend Raynar Silver, further endearing himself to the Dorian king. This proved to be a wise decision when Prince Miladin the Mighty of Robaria invaded Daravia in 87, claiming that Allicott had been stolen from the Robarials. Albus I, "in defense of Daravia and Heplianism," gladly aided Steppen in the war. This war culminated in the death of Miladin in 91, after which Steppen was willing to return Robaria to its pre-Masric borders in return for several important concessions. In the year 78, Steppen fell ill and decided hastily to make his daughter Geraldine his heir; Steppen's son, Peter, had ongoing health problems resulting from his difficult birth. However, Steppen recovered, remarried, and ended up having three more children. This led to strong tension between Geraldine and Steppen's second wife's eldest son, Bertram. When Steppen died of heart failure in 104, Bertram was quick to declare himself king; as a male, he ended up with many supporters. This caused the Grandelburg Crisis, a three-year succession conflict. Personal life Steppen married Ethel Estevard, a Gebert-based Daravian noblewoman, in 62; Ethel had two miscarriages before giving birth to a daughter, Geraldine, in 65. Her next pregnancy ended in her death, but the child, Peter, survived. Steppen waited until 80 to wed again, marrying Laurel Bedvering. She proved to be more fertile, having her first child, Bertram, in 81 and then two more in short succession. Steppen always got along well with his children by Ethel, but because of his decision to make Geraldine his heir, his relationship with Laurel's children (particularly Bertram) were strained. Category:Daravians Category:Grandelburg Family Category:Monarchs